The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-11-16
RANK BRAGGARDISM,
Republican Partisans Trying to Pose
Political Saints.

| "''Pu"ncah Eart'6ahS frying to Pose o.
Political Saints.
The Republican State Committee ha:
issued alcaflets containing list of the
great deeds done by the party, presum-
ably unaided and alone. The follow.
ing are, perhaps, the most conspicuous
and brilliant:
1t subdued the rebellion and saved the Union
1t raised the Nation from bankruptcy, and Sc
cured for our public credit the faith of the flnan
cial world.
1t has practically given each citizen free
home by securing the public domain from the
monopoly Of capital.
1t has made competency a condition OF ap.
pointment to office and fidelity to duty the ten.
ure of holding it,
These are only samples of a large
line OF heroic measures which consti-
tute the Republican demand for anoth-
er lease of bower. 1t will be seen at
a casual glaIce that the party Is COM
posed of all the professional saints in
population of something over sixty
million people. They regard them
selves as the only authorized agents
for the importation of political virtue
from the New Jerusalem, and have
formed q .combinc" to hold the article
for Il rise of the market.
If we look little closely at the facts,
however, we find that these Republic
ans have not clear title to their claim.
They have the convenient faculty of
forgetfnlness, and, while wildly re-
calling certain parts of the evidence,
utterly disremen;ber other parts
equally important. For example, when
they declare that they have "practi-
cally given each citizen free home by
securing the public domain from the
monopoly of capital" we recall Baron
Munchausen, who had the same habit
of extolling himself for heroic achieve
ments which were all in his eye. The
cold, unfiinching records of history
show that the Republican party has
uniformly played into the hands of the
monopoly of capital" and deliberate
ly cheated nearly million and a half
of our citizens out of farms of one hun
dred and sixty acres each by givingoyer
two hundred million acres of the pub
lie domain to big corporations, cattle
syndicates, land spectators and aliens.
AS to making competency condi-
ton OF appointment to Office and Gdel- !
ity to duty the tenure for holding it,"
we rise to remark that Civil-Service
reform properly administered keeps
faithful servant of the public in office
regardless of his politics, but that on
the advent of q Democratic Admins
tration and when the books were
looked over it was found that Demo-
Gratis holding even minor offices were
as scarce us hens teeth. With the
rarest exceptions every position within
the gift of the Government was held |
by Republican partisan, whose sal
airy was assessed for political purposes
and whose position was used as CEN
ter of political influence.
Well, let the Republicans go ahead |
on their own line. They know what
they can do best, and since it Is boast
ing, why, let them boast to their hearts
content This is a free country, and if
they can persuade the people to think
rs much of them as they seem to think |
Of themselves, all right. Ours is
Government of the people, for the peo-
pie and by the people, and no one can
ieny that the people are king.
The Republicans have no principles
!" fight for, or if they have they con-